1. Two sides to the story While we begin the season by genuflecting to all things SEC, let’s pause for a moment and drink in the possibility of what could be this weekend.

Oregon beats LSU. Boise State beats Georgia. BYU beats Ole Miss.

For those who hate the SEC—that means you, Jim Delany—this is the perfect storm of season openers. LSU has lost its starting quarterback (Jordan Jefferson) and star wideout (Russell Shepard), and plays the most explosive team in the game. Georgia is relying on a freshman (Isaiah Crowell) to run the ball against one of the nation’s best defenses. And Ole Miss has a rebuilt defense going against a quarterback (Jake Heaps) who got hot in the second half of last season.

I can hear Jimbo laughing all the way from Chicago.

The obvious question: What if the SEC loses all three games Saturday? What does that say about the state of the mega-league that has won five straight BCS national championships, and had nine of its 12 teams finish in the Sporting News top 25 recruiting rankings?

This, of course, leads us to the other side of the argument: What if the SEC, despite those hurdles, wins all three games?

Jim Delany doesn’t want to know the answer to that.

2. Texas-sized ego Now that Texas A&M has decided it can take no more of Texas (not really the Big 12) and wants to hitch up with the SEC, the Longhorn faithful have turned the argument to Arkansas. You know, the former Texas rival in the old days of the Southwest Conference. So while the Aggies (vs. SMU) and Razorbacks (Missouri State) begin promising seasons this weekend—and Texas (vs. Rice) tries to return to relevancy—it’s a perfect time to look at exactly what has happened since Arkansas told the old Southwest Conference in 1991 it would leave for the SEC.

Since the Hogs’ momentous day, they are 5-4 vs. three of the Big Eight/Big 12/SWC’s top four teams: Texas (3-2), Oklahoma (0-1) and Texas A&M (2-1). So while Arkansas hasn’t won the SEC (it has been to the SEC championship game three times) and hasn’t had the success of Texas since 1991, that certainly doesn’t in any way explain the fallout from leaving one conference for another.

Besides, Texas A&M has more things to worry about this weekend—like a very good SMU team that coach June Jones has completely transformed in his three seasons in Highland Park. Texas, I mean the Big 12, has to find another team(s) for its, I mean the Big 12’s, conference.

3. Minny on the rise

I’m not sayin’ it, but I’m sayin’ it: USC better be really careful with Minnesota this weekend. Why, you ask?

Two men, I say: Ron Zook and Ed Orgeron. And to that duo I add Tim Brewster.

Look, everyone isn’t made to be a head coach (although Zooker has turned the corner at Illinois). Some guys are just terrific recruiters who set up the next guy to win big.

Zook recruited Urban Meyer’s national championship team at Florida in 2006. Orgeron recruited Houston Nutt’s back-to-back Cotton Bowl champions at Ole Miss. And now Brewster—who did one thing really well in the Twin Cities (and it wasn’t win)—has set up new Gophers coach Jerry Kill.

Kill was a coaching gem everywhere he went in the NCAA lower divisions, and was so impressive in his short time at Northern Illinois— and so respected in the coaching community—he landed a plum job where the right coach can thrive.

There is talent at Minnesota; loads of it. From QB MarQueis Gray to LB Gary Tinsley to WR Da’Jon McKnight. And they’re going to scare the Cardinal and Gold out of USC, a mentally shaky team still dealing with fall camp injuries, still struggling defensively—and playing with the reality that no matter what they do, they won’t play in the postseason.

Don’t believe for a moment that Notre Dame actually had a quarterback competition in fall camp.

When we look back at the “competition” during the season, when we readdress it months from now during the NFL Draft, when Dayne Crist is the second quarterback taken in the April draft, we’ll realize Irish coach Brian Kelly simply wanted his physically fragile quarterback mentally sharp.

And why wouldn’t he? After two major knee surgeries, Crist had to have some mental doubts going into his senior season. What better way to get his mind off the possibility of his knees betraying him again than by insinuating that Tommy Rees—a tough kid; a gamer who played well against lesser opponents last year as Crist’s backup—could win the starting job.

Now Kelly has a sharp, excited, motivated senior quarterback who just happens to throw the ball better than anyone this side of Andrew Luck. Watch the Irish offense explode this season, and watch Crist lead ND back to a BCS bowl beginning this weekend against USF.

5. In the cart, on the field

So JoePa says there’s a “50—50” chance he’ll coach from the skybox in Penn State’s season opener against FCS cupcake Indiana State. Joe could coach from his kitchen while he and Sue can tomatoes and the Lions would still win by 50. That’s not the issue here.

More to the point: Quarterback Rob Bolden needs a big game. Bolden hinted the entire offseason he may not return to State College this fall for any number of reasons. Here, in a nutshell, is why: hurt feelings. Bolden didn’t play in the bowl game loss to Florida, when then-starter Matt McGloin threw five interceptions. If he wasn’t going to play then, how could he play in 2011?

Now he’s back and it appears as though he’ll share time with McGloin, and that’s not a good thing. Penn State can’t win big in the Big Ten with McGloin; it can win the conference championship with a clear-headed, confident Bolden.

This isn’t a knock on McGloin, who settled things in the second half of last season for the Lions—but who isn’t near the talent Bolden is. If Bolden plays well and gains confidence, Penn State can play in a BCS bowl.